Can opener for tearstrip cans



July 16,v l195.7 v Rl c. BARKER 2,799,428

vCAN OPENER FOR TEARSTRIP CAMS Filed Aug. v2O,v 1956 ga/5, lr lilll ff]A Unitedk States Patent() CAN OPENER FOR TEARSTRHP CANS Ray C. Barker,Wichita, Kans.

Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 695,048

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-52) A common type of container for food products isthe can provided with a tear strip extending around the same a shortdistance from the top; the strip having an exposed, free end lto which akey may be applied to tear the strip loose and wind it up, to open thecan.

The purpose of the present invention is to make the work of opening theaforesaid type of can easier than when a conventional plain key is used.

The object of the present invention is to produce a simple, eicient andinexpensive implement for carrying out my said purpose.

A further object of the invention is so to construct the implement thatit will operate satisfactorily on cans of various sizes.

The various features of novelty whereby the present invention ischaracterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in theclaims; but, for a full understanding the invention and its objects andadvantages, reference may be had to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a t-op plan view showing an implement embodying a preferredform of the invention applied to a can;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the structures appearing in Fig. 1 including,however, only the upper part of the can;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, on a -smaller scale, showing theimplement applied to a smaller can.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a at plate, preferably ofgenerally triangularly-shaped metal. The plate has thereon, at onecorner of the triangle, a down-turned ange or lip 2. At a second cornerof the triangle is a. second lip 3, shown as being formed by partiallysevering a fragment of the plate from the main body and bending it at anangle downward inwardly from the adjacent edge of the plate. At thethird corner of the triangle is a striptearing key device 4. Instead oflips Aother downward projections may be used. The plate itself ispreferably triangular in shape so that elements 2, 3 and 4 may belocated at its three corners. A substantially isosceles or equilateraltriangle is preferred.

The key device includes a shaft 5 that extends through and at rightangles to the plate; the mounting being such that the shaft may rotatefreely but is held against lengthwi-se movement. In the lower end of theshaft is a slot 6 for receiving the usual free tab or exposed end of thetear strip on a can to be opened. On the upper end of the shaft is acrank arm 7 or the like for tuning the shaft.

The plate has on top thereof, `at the center, ya knob 8. On the underside of the plate, registering with the knob,

is a projection 9 that does not extend down farther than does lip 3.This projection may conveniently be a nut on the lower end of a stemthat extends down through the plate from the knob.

The plate is adapted to rest on top of the usual peripheral ridge orbead at the juncture of the cover with the can body. In the drawing theimplement is shown in operative relation with respect to a common typeof vacuum packed coiee can A, the upstanding annular ridge B of whichhas a diameter of approximately live inches. Lip or flange 2 contactsthe outer side of the ridge B,

Vwhile lip 3 engages the inner side of ridge B near the base of theridge. Shaft 5 extends down and close to the Iside of the can, the slot6 therein spanning the width of the tear strip 10.

In carrying out a can-opening operation, the vtab 109', constituting anexposed free end of tear strip 10, is inserted in the slot 6 in theshaft 5; the shaft being then turned so as progressively to tear thestrip loose from the can and wind it around the shaft. As the shaft isrotated the knob and the can are held by one hand, the can remainingstationary while the knob is allowed to turn with the plate whichrotates in sliding contact with the ridge on the can.

In Fig. l arrow X indicates the direction in which the key device turns,while the direction -of bodily turning movement of the entire implementis indicated by arrow Y.

As the winding'of the tear strip progresses, the cylindrical roll formedthereby on the shaft or key increases in diameter; the roll pressingagainst the can and gradually forcing the shaft to progressively shiftslightly away from the can, however, this does not interfere with thetearing operation, because lip 2, lying on the outer side of ridge B,serves as a fulcrum about which the plate may rock, while lip 3, beingon the inner side of such ridge, does not prevent such rockingmovements.

It will be seen that, since the plates rests solidly on top of the can,the shaft or key proper, remains at all times parallel to the axis ofthe can, so that the strip is wound up evenly and without danger oftearing diagonally at some intermediate point.

When a smaller can such as A1 in Fig. 4, is to be opened, the plate isplaced on top of the same with the nut or projection 9 engaged with theinnerv or outer side of ridge B1 and lips Z and 3 -standing clear of thecan. Thus the plate rests solidly 0n the can and, with the users hand onthe knob, cannot slip off but slides and turns in a n`xed path in unisonwith the key device as the latter travels around the can during a stripremoval operation.

, I claim:

l. An implement for removing the tear strip extending around a can ashort distance below a peripheral ridge rising above the top of the can,comprising: an approximately triangular plate adapted to overlie such acan and rest on said ridge, one corner of the plate being turned down to`form a lip adapted to engage the side of the can, the plate beingdeformed near a second corner to form a separate down-turned lipinwardly from that corner and Iadapted to engage the inner side of said'ridge, a device rotatably mounted on the plate at the third cornerengaging the tear strip and winding it up, and a knob rising from thecenter of the plate.

2. An implement as set forth in claim -1 wherein the 3 rotatably mounteddevice comprises ya shaft extending through and at right angles to theplate, the shaft being slotted at its lower end to receive the free end-of the tear strip and having at its upper end a crank arm turning thesame.

3. An implement as set forth in `claim l wherein the n knob rests on theplate and has a stern extending through the ridge on a can so small thatneither of the lips can be in operative relation to the `can when therotatable device is interlocked with the tear strip.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

